NBA Draft 2019: 7 prospects that could thrive as future role players

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: De'Andre Hunter #12, Kyle Guy #5 and Ty Jerome #11 of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrate their teams lead late in overtime against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 27: Aric Holman #35 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs dunks the ball in the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions during their 2018 National Invitation Tournament Championship semifinals game at Madison Square Garden on March 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Aric Holman – Mississippi State

Draft Status: Holman just finished his senior season and will be in the draft.

Draft Projection: Mocks are having Holman going in the late second round or not being drafted.

Role Player Projection:

Strengths: At 6-10, some of Holman’s statistics from this past season really jump out as positives. Using sports-reference, I went back to 2009-10 and looked for players that matched some of Holman’s statistical profiles, in particular those that reflected his ability to be a “stretch 5” (a big-man that can both provide defense and stretch the floor with their shooting). Specifically, I looked for players that had 1. a block percentage of >=7%, 2. a steal percentage of >=2%, 3. a three-point percentage >=40%, and 4. averaged >=1 made three per game (to filter out players that barely took any threes). Only two players showed up: Aric Holman’s 2018-19 season and Canisius’s Jordan Heath’s 2013-14 season (for those curious, Heath apparently has been playing ball overseas and signed a contract in 2016 to play in Switzerland. I’m not 100% sure where he’s at now).

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GIF credit to NCAA March Madness

Weaknesses:

Holman is the tough combination of “old” (having played four years of college) and still a little raw. NBA teams are willing to invest in four-year players, but typically like guys that are polished and can potentially contribute right away. Holman has shown positive flashes but isn’t regarded as a particularly strong interior player on either end of the floor. He’s not a great rebounder and has been known to have occasional lapses defensively. Overall, Holman’s play has been inconsistent over his collegiate career.

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